All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Looking to make a few upgrades? The new year is a great time to enhance your sound system. Whether you’re a music lover, a dedicated audiophile, gamer, movie buff, TV binger or a combination of all five, the speaker options are plentiful.

And with retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Walmart offering major markdowns for the winter, you’re sure to find great deals on speakers and other electronics.

That said, having too many options can be overwhelming. When shopping for a speaker, it’s good to narrow down the style, size and price that best suits your needs. To make the search a little easier, we gathered up nine of the best speakers for music lovers to play all their favorite tunes, podcasts and more. The list is comprised of picks that we’ve tested out personally and other fan favorites.

From portable Bluetooth speakers to wired and freestanding speakers, see below for our picks for the best options to enhance your sound system. For more recommendations, read our roundups of the best record players, best over-ear headphones, best wired headphones and best Bluetooth earbuds. 

Starting with something basic but dependable, Bose Soundlink Flex is a good choice in portable speaker option, if you’re looking for a no frills, Bluetooth speaker that you can carry around. Bose has a nice selection of speakers in stock – the cheapest of which is the Bose Soundlink Micro ($119). The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is a bit pricier ($399), while the Soundlink Flex falls on the more affordable side of the price scale.

The Soundlink Flex is engineered with a custom transducer that’s designed to flood the room with powerful sound. Available in black, red, white or blue, the speaker’s rugged exterior makes it easy to take on the go, and with up to 12 hours of battery life, you can play tons of songs before it’s time to recharge. The accompanying utility loop is perfect for hanging the speaker on a clip or carrying it around (the Bluetooth range stretches up to 30 feet). The Soundlink Flex is also IP67 certified waterproof and dust-proof.

JBL has a great selection of portable speakers including the JBL Flip 6, JBL Clip 4, JBL Go 3, Boombox 3 and the new JBL Authentics 200 Wireless Speaker. A modern speaker with a retro-inspired design, the JBL Authentics 200 delivers rich sound and deep bass with dual 25mm tweeters, 5-inch woofer, 6-inch passive radiator, Wifi, Bluetooth, Google Assistant and Voice Assistant. Measuring 6.59 inches x 10.48 inches x 6.76 inches, this portable speaker is equipped with a 200-watt sound output and weighs almost seven pounds. You can purchase the JBL speakers at Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Crutchfield and JBL.com.

Marshall is a personal favorite among music artists and fans (including our editors). You can’t really go wrong with a Marshall speaker, but if you’re looking for something not quite as small as a handheld option but not as big as a floor-standing speaker, the Emberton II might be the perfect fit. It combines the brand’s iconic retro design with contemporary technology delivering mega-sound in a smaller package than some of the larger Marshall designs. Emberton II has two full-range drivers, two passive radiators, dual tweeters and Bluetooth 5.0. Connecting the speaker to the Marshall App turns your phone into a control panel to adjust things like volume and playlists. The Emberton II is available at major retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy and at Marshall.com.

The Sonos Era 300 is one of the newer speakers to make our list and one of the best in its class. Era 300 serves up superior sound quality that can drizzle or flood the room with sound, depending on what you’re in the mood for. Available in black or white, the speaker’s compact, curvy design makes it stand out wherever its placed. Another great feature: intuitive touch controls that make it easier to turn up the volume or skip to the next track.

On the technical side of things, Era 300 features four tweeters, dual woofers and six, class-D digital amplifiers. Made from 40% recycled materials, the energy-efficient speaker is equipped with Wifi, Bluetooth, TruePlay, Dolby Atmos, Apple Airplay 2 and voice assistant (this feature can also be disabled). Era 300 allows you to jam away to your favorite tunes, playlists, podcasts and more on Amazon Music, Tidal, Apple Music and more. Another thing to note, Era 300 is incredibly easy to set up (around 10-15 minutes) and it comes in recycled packaging.

Klipsch is another star in the realm of premium-quality sound. For music lovers who have the square footage to build a robust sound system, Klipsch offers everything from floor standing speakers to bookshelf speakers, computer speakers, home theater speakers, sound bars and subwoofers. Not sure where to start? The R-51M Bookshelf Speakers are perfect for blasting your favorite tunes. This dynamic speaker duo offers powerful sound, booming bass and award-wining acoustics courtesy of Tractrix horn technology, which mimics the sound, precision and emotion of a live concert. These 13.3-inch speakers are equipped with one-inch titanium dome tweeters, 5.25-inch copper woofers and a removable magnetic grill.

Sony’s SRS-XP500 Bluetooth speaker is a nice investment if you’re looking for a boombox-style design. An alternative to the JBL Boombox 2 ($329.95), the SRS-XP500 delivers amazingly crisp sound thanks to Sony’s uniquely designed X-Balance speakers that pump out thumping, room-shaking bass. The battery delivers up to 20 hours of play time to keep the party moving all night long (literally). The speaker weighs about 24 pounds, but there’s a built-in handle that makes it easy to carry around, and LED ring lighting for added flair. Sony’s SRS-XP500 speakers are IPX4-certified water-and dust-resistant.

We love a tower speaker because it blends in, and stands out. Polk Audio’s Elite Signature ES360 provides an enveloping, true-to-life sound experience that’s especially useful for Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, Spotify and other streaming platforms. The floor-standing loudspeaker provides crystal-clear, hi-resolution sound with bass so incredible you might be able to feel it.

Perfect for your man cave or billiards room, according to one customer, the speaker is powered by Polk’s Patented Power Port Bass Enhancing Technology, which expands the overall bass port to provide a larger surface area for distortion-free, louder bass impact. The sleek ES60 features 1-inch High-Resolution Terylene Tweeters, 2.5-way cascading crossovers and a trio of 6.5-inch Mica-Fortified Polypropylene Woofers. Speakers in Polk Audio’s Signature Elite Series are designed with quality, timbre-matched components that let you seamlessly mix and match models to build the sound system of your dreams. This speaker is on sale at Amazon, Crutchfield and Polk Audio.

The Voice contestant Lauren Duski is mourning the death of her mother, Janis Duski, in a touching tribute posted to Instagram. According to TMZ, which first reported the news, the Tuscarora Township Police in Indian River, Michigan, said Janis was found dead in an apparent suicide.

In her Instagram post, Lauren Duski says she was hesitant to share the news publicly but thought she might be able to help others through her mother’s story.

“I wasn’t planning on sharing this but these last few days I’ve been feeling the most violent pull in my heart to remind you to please talk to one another,” Duski wrote. “If you’re struggling, do not be ashamed. Do not be ashamed. Do not be ashamed. Your mental health is nothing to be ashamed of and neither is talking about it. We are all trying to navigate this beautiful, messy life. I’ve learned that even the strongest humans have a breaking point. Be patient and gentle with yourself. Minute by minute. Please do not lose hope. Trust in God. There is always another chance…and there will never be another you.”

Duski competed on season 12 of The Voice in 2017 and chose to join Blake Shelton’s team among the three coaches who turned their chairs for her audition. The country singer finished as the season’s runner-up.

Lauren’s late mom can be seen, alongside her dad, celebrating her daughter’s success backstage in her blind audition video, in which she covered Jewel’s “You Were Meant for Me.”

Three of the songs Duski performed on The Voice hit the Billboard Hot 100 following her season: “Deja Vu” (No. 43), which she wrote, and covers of the Garth Brooks smash “The Dance” (No. 92) and Hugh Prestwood’s “Ghost in This House” (No. 98).

Read Lauren’s full message about her mom below:

Said goodbye to my best friend and hero this past Friday. My mom was the greatest human I’ve ever known. There was no one who loved harder.  She offered her entire being — heart and soul to everyone she encountered and always held up the mirror to remind you of how wonderful and special you were.  She set the bar above the moon. She adored her family and her grandchildren.  She was an endless dreamer. brilliant. an absolute powerhouse. Top of her class AND president in dental school. Served as a captain in the United States Air Force. She pioneered the Wolverine Patriot Project alongside the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and made it her mission to provide oral health care to disabled and homeless Michigan military veterans. We called her “Yoda” for her endless wisdom, energy, wit, and humor. She was selfless in every way. She never quit. Especially with a fishing pole in her hand.  She loved to spend time exploring and road tripping across country with just a road map.

She saw God in everyone and everything.

Mom, you are infinitely loved. I will miss you every second of every day. I still don’t know how the hell I’m supposed to do this without you. I will thank God every day for our 32 years together and see you every time I look in that mirror.

I wasn’t planning on sharing this but these last few days I’ve been feeling the most violent pull in my heart to remind you to please talk to one another. If you’re struggling, do not be ashamed. Do not be ashamed. Do not be ashamed. Your mental health is nothing to be ashamed of and neither is talking about it. We are all trying to navigate this beautiful, messy life. I’ve learned that even the strongest humans have a breaking point. Be patient and gentle with yourself. Minute by minute. Please do not lose hope. Trust in God. There is always another chance…and there will never be another you.

We have the opportunity to save a generation and beyond. Say “I love you” every chance you get. Don’t wait. You never know the true impact you have on those around you.

I love you, mom. Forever. May you rest in glorious peace.

Janis Patricia Duski – 1964-2024

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, available 24 hours, at 1-800-273-8255.

The Jeymes Samuel-directed The Book of Clarence hits theaters on Friday (Jan. 12), and to celebrate his newest film, the star sat down with Billboard‘s Gail Mitchell to discuss the movie.

“I think for me, ‘epic’ and ‘bold’ are two of the words that define cinema. When every other movie is a superhero movie […] it’s really quite rare that we get original storytelling in the cinematic experience,” he shared. “I love cinema, I love film, I love music, I love originality. Who better to combine those things than moi?”

Samuel’s reimagined take on Hollywood’s classic Biblical epics stars LaKeith Stansfield as the streetwise Clarence, a man who is struggling to make a better life for himself and his family. Inspired by the rising power and glory of the Messiah and his disciples, Clarence stakes his own claim to a similar life as he embarks on a journey that encompasses risks as well as redemption and faith.

The film’s soundtrack was spearheaded by Samuel’s longtime friend Jay-Z and his entertainment company, Roc Nation. “We speak every single day,” the British filmmaker said of Jay’s involvement in the film. “It’s not like we create together. He’s a floor to the ceiling creator and I’m a floor to the ceiling creator. We’re just having conversation, laughing our heads off, having fun and at the end of it, these classics are made.”

He continued, “We’re always collaborating. I don’t know when it begins and when it ends, because we’re natural born creators.”

Watch Billboard‘s full interview with Jeymes Samuel above.

SoundCloud has been eyeing a sale — and actively pursuing initiatives internally “that would increase the valuation of the company” — since the second half of 2022, according to two former employees who spoke to Billboard on the condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, COO and CFO Drew Wilson is preparing to leave the company after nearly three years in the role, according to a staff memo obtained by Billboard. 

Sky News reported on Sunday that SoundCloud was planning to pursue a sale in 2024. This has been in the works “for some time,” one former employee tells Billboard. “A lot of decision making has been based on this.”

SoundCloud announced it was slashing 8% of its workforce last May — less than a year after a 20% cut — to achieve “profitability this year,” as CEO Eliah Seton wrote in an email to staff at the time. “The ambition to reach profitability was not just for the obvious reason of being profitable,” the former employee continues. “The bigger need was for this, to sell the company. The stakeholders have major investments; it’s time.” (SoundCloud previously secured a $170 million investment led by The Raine Group and Temasek in 2017, and an additional $75 million investment from SiriusXM in February 2020.) 

A rep for SoundCloud declined to comment. The Raine Group also declined to comment.

SoundCloud leadership had previously tossed around the idea — a best case scenario — of reaching a $2.5 billion valuation for the company, sources said. (The company likes to aim big: In internal meetings, executives also expressed a hope that one of the artists SoundCloud signed to deals in 2022 would have a major chart hit, one of the employees said; this has not happened.)

The more commonly cited valuation goal, the sources say, was around $1 billion. “There’s a billion-dollar-plus opportunity in front of us,” Tracy Chan, who joined SoundCloud as senior vp of creator in 2022, said at an all-hands meeting that year. One of SoundCloud’s former employees said most of the interest in the company came from private equity firms, not music companies. 

For comparison’s sake, when Square acquired TIDAL in 2021, the streaming service was valued at around $375 million. Though SoundCloud is not just a streaming service — it also provides tools to creators to help them distribute, market, and monetize music. Creator tools and services brought in more than $26 million for the platform in the first quarter of 2023, according to screenshots from an all-hands meeting shared with Billboard, nearly as much as subscriptions ($29.9 million).

Those screenshots indicate that SoundCloud had a gross profit of around $22 million in the first quarter of the year. But it spent around $4 million on marketing and another $23 million on staffing and general and administrative expenses, leaving it around $5 million short of breaking even. 

In May 2023, SoundCloud aimed to reduce that headcount cost through a second round of cuts. (Profitability has been a goal since 2022, if not before: “Investors are looking for companies that are a little more stable right now,” former CEO Michael Weissman told staff during an all-hands meeting that followed the first round of layoffs in 2022. “Investors are looking for companies that are very profitable.”) The company said it finally reached profitability in December. 

“Now that we have achieved profitability and are making progress on our strategic plan, we have nothing but opportunity in front of us,” Seton wrote in an email to staff on Monday (Jan. 8) that was obtained by Billboard. “As we have mentioned in previous All Hands [meetings] and AMAs, we will explore a range of options for our capital structure, but there is nothing to report right now, nor will there be any time soon.”

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Arianators recieved a major surprise from Ariana Grande, as the “Thank You, Next” singer has officially teased new music in a cozy oversized sweatshirt. The dry spell is over for fans as Grande announced her new single, “Yes, And?” is coming Jan. 12, and she took to the streets and social media to tease the upcoming new song.

The “Dangerous Woman” singer’s style is just one of her iconic qualities, alongside award-winning vocals. Some of her go-to pieces include oversized sweatshirts, which the artist has sported on numerous occasions. Most recently, she was seen on the streets of New York City on Thursday (Jan. 4) sporting Proenza Schouler mules, a leather tote bag from The Row, light-wash straight-leg jeans and a relaxed crewneck sweatshirt that said “Yes, And?,” sparking rumors and speculation about a possible seventh studio album.

She confirmed that the crewneck’s text indeed was in reference to a new single in an Instagram post on Sunday (Jan. 7).

“yes, and? ♡ 1.12,” the caption says.

To prepare for the “7 Rings” singer’s new music, you can show your own crewneck inspired by the exact one that Grande wore to tease her new single. Instead of searching for it yourself, we found a couple options for you to snag now before you get ready to stream the new song coming Friday.

Keep reading to shop our picks below.

yes, and? Crewneck Sweatshirt

Buy Now on etsy $45+

Etsy’s crewneck sweatshirt aims to look just like the artist’s version with small text centered on the front and a soft cotton material that’ll help swaddle you in comfort whether you’re listening to music in bed or walking to the nearest cafe for coffee.

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Add Your Own Text Personalized Crewneck Sweatshirt

Buy Now On Amazon $34.90

Amazon’s customizable crewneck gives you ability to add your own “yes, and?” text to the crewneck with the choice of font, character color, the size and placement of the text and even the color of the sweatshirt. You can keep it black like the one that Grande sported or go for a more bold color. Just make sure to hit customize before you add the top to your cart.

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For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best shackets for women, band t-shirts and the best teddy coats.